Carton assembling apparatus

ABSTRACT

Apparatus for setting up a rectangular cardboard carton for filling through its top side from a flattened blank - preferably one with pressure sensitive adhesively coated flaps, which apparatus comprises a frame including a pair of parallel horizontally disposed base support members upon which are releaseably cantilevered a pair of support plates over which the carton blank is passed as it is introduced above one parallel member and moved toward the other. Unfolding of the carton blank occurs after the blank is moved over the plates to the opposite side of the apparatus from which it is introduced. The opened blank is then held by a spring mounted gripping claw. A back-up plate is passed through the opening formed by the opened sides of the carton and held in a plane normal to those sides. Pairs of plates are then moved from the opposite direction first to bring one opposed pair of flaps into position against the back-up plate and then withdrawn, following which withdrawal a second pair of plates brings the other opposed pair of flaps into abutment with the first opposed pair of flaps and applies pressure to cause adherence thereto by the contacting pressure sensitive adhesive surfaces. Thereupon all plates are withdrawn and the cantilevered support members are released to permit the thus-bottomed box to pass between the horizontally disposed based support members. The several steps are sequenced by a series of switches each of which is actuated as the previous step occurs.

United States Patent [191 Perry CARTON ASSEMBLING APPARATUS [76] Inventor: Lawrence Perry, 423 W. Park Ave.,

Santa Maria, Calif. 93454 [22] Filed: Jan. 5, 1973 [2l] Appl. No.: 321,147

Related US. Application Data [63] Continuation of Ser. No. 192,237, Oct. 26, 1971,

abandoned.

[52] US. Cl. 93/53 AC [51] Int. Cl B3lb 15/00 [58] Field of Search 93/39 R, 53 R, 53 AC, 51 R, 93/51 M, 49 R, 49 AC Primary ExaminerAndrew R. Juhasz Assistant ExaminerLeon Gilden Attorney, Agent, or FirmSmyth, Roston & Pavitt ABSTRACT Apparatus for setting up a rectangular cardboard car- [4 1 May 7,1974

ton for filling through its top side from a flattened blank preferably one with pressure sensitive adhesively coated flaps, which apparatus comprises a frame including a pair of parallel horizontally disposed base support members upon which are releaseably cantilevered a pair of support plates over which the carton blank is passed as it is introduced above one parallel member and moved toward the other. Unfolding of the carton blank occurs after the blank is moved over the plates to the opposite side of the apparatus from which it is introduced. The opened blank is then held by a spring mounted gripping claw. A back-up plate is passed through the opening formed by the opened sides of the carton and held in a plane normal to those sides. Pairs of plates are then moved from the opposite direction first to bring one opposed pair of flaps into position against the back-up plate and then withdrawn, following which withdrawal a second pair of plates brings the other opposed pair of flaps into abutment with the first opposed pair of flaps and applies pressure to cause adherence thereto by the contacting pressure sensitive adhesive surfaces. Thereupon all plates are withdrawn and the cantilevered support members are released to permit the thus-bottomed box to pass between the horizontally disposed based support members. The several steps are sequenced by a series of switches each of which is actuated as the previous step occurs.

5 Claims, 12 Drawing Figures CARTON ASSEMBLING APPARATUS RELATED APPLICATION This is a continuation of my application Ser. No. 192,237 filed Oct. 26, 197I, which is abandoned.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to apparatus for automatically making up cartons from flattened blanks. It is particularly designed to make up cartons from those blanks which have flaps with pressure sensitive adhesive on the areas where one flap overlies and contacts another, so that the bottom end of the carton may be adhesively closed and the top end of the carton left open for filling with fruits, vegetables, garments or other objects which are to be packed in the cartons.

2. Description of the Prior Art Cardboard cartons for packing objects are customarily made up in flattened blanks with the four sides of the cartons integrally hingedly connected to each other and flaps provided at each end of each side of the carton. When the cartonis to be made up intoa rectangular box for filling, the sides are first unflattened and disposed at 90 angles relative to each other, the flaps of one end are then brought into a plane substantially normal to the planes of the box sides and the flaps are then secured to each other in some manner as, for example, by tape or adhesive or staples. In recent years, the end flaps of certain types of cartons have been provided with pressure sensitive adhesive whereby, when one such flap is pressed against another, the contacting surfaces will adhere to each other to close the end of the box where such flaps are so placed in contact with each other and adhered.

Although some devices have heretofore been provided to make up cartons from blanks and close an end with adhesive tape, the principal manner of making up cartons with pressure sensitive adhesively coated flaps has been by manual labor. This presents some difficulty in that the worker assembling the carton not only must wrestle with the flattened carton to open it up and bring all sides into 90 angular connections with the other sides; but at a predetermined point in the assembly process, the worker must bring the flaps together in the proper manner and apply sufficient pressure to effect their adhesion to each other, or otherwise secure them, as for example, by stapling. This has proved to be a time-consuming process, and if the worker is careless, the carton flaps may not be'properly secured. Consequently, there is a danger that after the carton is filled with objects, the bottom may give way and spill the contents.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention comprises apparatus which first receives a flattened carton which may be fed manually into the apparatus. As the box edge is pushed into the apparatus, the carton blank is properly opened and held with all four sides in a 90 squared orientation relative to each other. At this point a back-up plate is passed through the cavity defined by the thus-opened carton sides, and is disposed in the plane where the bottom of the carton is to be formed. This back-up plate is preferably moved through the carton and held in position by a first hydraulic or pneumatic ram. When the back-up plate is thus disposed, a first pair of rams capped with plates move from the opposite direction toward the bottom of the box position, bringing two of the flaps briefly against the back-up plate. These first two rams are then quickly withdrawn and a second pair of rams similarly capped move in the samedirection as the first two rams to bring the other two flaps into position against the first pair of flaps and the back-up plate, and, where the flaps are coated with pressure sensitive adhesive, to apply sufficient pressure thereto to secure all four flaps together to form the bottom of the box.

If the flaps are not so coated, staples may be applied to the thus folded flaps. The last mentioned ram members and the back-up plate are then withdrawn and, after such withdrawal, a release mechanism in the frame is tripped, so that the thus-bottomed carton is discharged by gravity through the frame. The carton may then be removed to the place where it is to be filled.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DARWINGS FIG. 1 is the perspective view of the apparatus after discharge of a bottomed carton.

FIG. 2 is a plane view showing the cantilevered support plates disposed in a horizontal plane to receive a carton blank.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a portion of the apparatus of FIG. I, showing in dotted lines a carton being opened up as it enters the apparatus.

FIG. 4 is a side elevation of a portion of the apparatus showing the positioning of the components after the carton blank has been opened up and the back-up plate moved into its back-up location.

FIG. 5 is a side elevation similar to FIG. 4 showing the positioning of the components after the movement of that portion of the apparatus which closes the vertically extending carton flaps.

FIG. 6 is a side elevation similar to FIGS. 4 and 5, but

showing the closing of the bottom flaps.

FIG. 7 is a side elevation, partly schematic, showing the discharge of the box from the apparatus onto a belt.

FIG. 8 is a perspective enlarged detail of the flapclosing mechanism.

FIG. 9 is an elevational detail of the flap-closing mechanism.

FIG. 10 is a perspective detail of the ram-operated back-up plate.

FIG. 11 is a perspective detail of the carton stopping element. I

FIG. 12 is a detail of the box gripping member.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to FIG. I of the drawings, the. preferred embodiment of the invention is shown to be constructed on a frame 10 which includes a pair of horizontally disposed parallel side members 12' and 14 spaced from each other by a distance greater than'the width of a carton 15 (FIG. 3) to be made up from a carton blank. The members 12 and 14 are secured in parallel relation to each other by end members 16 and 18. The upper edges 12a and 14a, respectively, of the members 12 and 14, may serve as tracks upon which may be moved rollers 20 and 22, which rotate on axles 24 and 26 respectively. The latter extend laterally from a movable end frame 28. End frame 28 is supported in a position normal to the parallel side members 12 and 14 by a plurality of elongated elements 30, 32, 34 and 36. The elements 30, 32 and 34, pass through orifices 30a,32a and 34a respectively, in the frame member 28 and the'sleeve 36 is welded at 36a to the lower edge 28a of the frame member 28. Each of the elements 30, 32 and 34 comprises a portion of a hydraulic or pneumatic ram assembly which operates from the end member 16 of the frame 10. Sleeve 36 is slidable axially on a large support stud 38 passing through the end member 16 and secured thereto, as by nuts 40, or other fasteners, and serves as a guide for the bottom of the end frame 28. Also attached to the stud 38 at the point where it protrudes inwardly from end member 16 is a vertical clip assembly 42. The upper portion of the assembly 42 is bowed at 42a to clamp upon a hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder 44 into which is received one end 34b of the element 34 connected to piston 46 for movement in and out of the cylinder 44.

A back-up plate 48 is disposed in abutment with the frame member 28 and attached to the distal ends of the elements 30, 32 and 34. The back-up plate 48 may be movedaway from the frame 28 and such movement is accomplished by the action of the hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder 44 upon the piston 46 to force the element 34 outwardly in the direction of the cylinder axis. The elements 30, 32 attached to back-up plate 48 will thereupon move through frame 28, passing through the orifices 30a and 32a'until the nuts 50 and 52 strike the .front face of the frame 28.

Mounted on the rear frame member 14 and rising vertically from the backside thereof are a pair of support elements 54, 56. These'support elements are connected near their upper ends by a cylindrical shaft 58 about the left end of which is a disposed coil spring 60 and ,on the right end, is a slidable sleeve 62. A disc 64 cpas the end of the sleeve 62 which abuts one end of the coil 60. The sleeve 62 is not only slidable axially with respect to the shaft 58, but is also at least partly rotatable thereabout. Secured pendantly to the front side of the sleeve 62 to rotate therewith is an angular box clamp 66, the underside 66a of the upper portion of the angle being provided with a plurality of spikes 68. The lower side 70 of the angle of the clamp 66 includesan integral extension 72 with a foot 74, the function of which will hereinafter become apparent. The vertical support 54 may also be provided with a laterally extending mount 76, the front side of which carries a switch 78.

The upper edges l2a'and 14a of the side members 12 and 14, respectively, also serve to mount in cantilevered fashion a pair of pivotable plates 80, 82. These plates'are normally disposed in a horizontal orientation as shown in FIGS. 2 through 6 inclusive, but upon completion of the box make-up operation, the plates 80, 82 are released to pivot their cantilevered ends downwardly in the manner shown in FIGS. 1 and 7.

Means 84 are shown schematically in FIG. 1 to accomplishsuch release of the tilted plates 80 and 82 and to return them to a horizontal disposition following the dumping of the madeup box between the tilted plates 80 and 82 and the side members 12 and 14. The means 84 include a cable 86 and a series of pulleys 88, 90, 9 2 and 94, whereby the cable 86 may be connected to a tab 96 on the plates 80 and 82 and pulled or released by a hydraulic-piston cylinder combination 98. At a pre-selected point on each side member 12 and 14 is provided a box stop member 100.

Considering next the lefthandside of the apparatus, a rectangular boxlike frame102 is mounted securely on the end member 18 and two side members 12 and 14.

The frame'102 includes four vertical posts 104, 106,

identical, but oppositely faced. It will suffice, therefore, 5

to describe the ram assemblies actuated by cylinders 116 and l20'to provide a full understanding of the operation OF both pairs of ram assemblies.

Considering first the ram assembly 124 actuated by cylinder 116, it may be seen from FIGS. '1 and 9 that the base of the cylinder 1 16'is secured to the post 104 by bracket 126, and the side element 128. The latter is fixedly secured to extend from post 104 to post 110. Cylinder 1 16 is disposed in its mounting parallel to the side members 12 and 14 and houses therein a. piston which is reciprocated in the cylinder in response to admission of hydraulic fluid to the cylinder through lines 132 and 134. The piston 130 is connected to the horizontal rod 136'and reciprocates the same in accordance with the fluid actuation with the piston 130. Rod 136 passes through an orifice 138 in post 1 10. Pivotally secured at the free end of rod 136 is a plate 140. Also pivotally secured to the plate 140 is a second elongated studlike element 142, the opposite end of which element is threaded as at 144. Element 142 also passes through post 110 through the orifice 146. A nut 147 is adjustably disposed on the threading 144. The manner in which the rod'116 and element 142 are pivotally attached to the plate 140 as shown in the enlarged 'detail of FIG. 9. A bell-crank type member 148 integrally formed with a flat surface 150 is secured to the back of plate 140 so that the member 148 projects angularly away from plate 140. The rod 136 is pivotally secured by a pin 152 through an orifice in the vicinity of the base of the member 148 and the end of the studlike element 142 is similarly pivotally attached outwardly from the base to the member 148 by a pin 154. As may be seen from FIG. 9,when the rod 136 is advanced away from the cylinder 116, element 142 is carried with rod 1 16 parallel thereto through the other orifice 146 in the post 110 until the nut 147 strikes thewall of the post 1 l0, whereupon further advance .of the element 142 is prevented. As rod 136 thereafter advances, element 142 thereupon pulls on the end of member 146 to bring the plate 140 into a position normal to the rod 136, as shown in the dotted lines to the right of P16. 9.

The ram assembly 125 actuated by cylinder 120 also includes a piston 156 which reciprocates in cylinder 120 in response to fluid moved into one and/or the other of the cylinder by lines 158 and 160. Rod 162 connected to the piston 156 is thus reciprocated relative to the cylinder 120 along the axis of the latter. Rod 162 terminates centrally on a crossbar 164 which is disposed outside the boxlike rectangular frame member 102, and rod 162 passes via the orifice 168 through the transverse upper element 166 forming part of the top rectangular frame 114. Two other orifices 170 and 172 are also provided in the transverse element 166 through which orifices may be reciprocated studlike elements 174 and 176. These elements are also threaded at their free ends 178 and 180 respectively. Nuts 182 and 184 are disposed respectively upon the threaded ends 178 and 180 of the elements 174 and 176. Extending from the crossbar 164 on opposite sides of the central point where rod 162 is connected to the crossbar, are a pair of parallel cylindrical mounting members 186 and 188. These members are pivotally attached to the back side of plates 190, 192. Also pivotally mounted relative to the back sides of these plates are the two unthreaded ends of the studlike elements 174 and 176. The manner in which both the members 186, 188 and elements 174, 176 are pivotally attached to the back side of the plates 190, 192 are shown in greater detail in FIG. 8. Since both plates 190 and 192 are identically pivotally attached to the members 186, 188 and to the elements 174, 176, it is only necessary to describe one of these mountings: A bell-crank type member 194 is secured centrally to the back side of the upper end of plate 190. The member 194 includes a straight portion 196 and an integral angular portion 198. The end 200 of member 186 is bifurcated by a slotting 202 which fits about the sides of the bell-crank type 194 at the point where the angular portion thereof begins to diverge from the plane of the back side of the plate 190. A pin 204 serves pivotally to attach the slotted end 200 of the member 186 to the bellcrank 194. The end of the angular portion 198 of the bellcrank 194 is itself bifurcated at 206 and orificed to permit a pin 208 to pass thereunder and through a looped end 210 of element 174, thereby to pivotally secure the latter to the bifurcated end 206 of the angular portion 198 of the bellcrank 194.

It may be seen, therefore, that any advance of the rod 162 away from and in the axis of the cylinder 120 carries with it the crossbar 164 together with the elements 174 and 176, maintaining the angular disposition of the plates 190 and 192 until the nuts 182 and 184 come into contact with the wall of the transverse upper element 166; whereupon any further advance of the crossbar results in a pulling of the angular portion 198 of the bellcrank 194 to bring the plates 190 and 192 into a position normal to the axis of thecylinder 120. 1

Each of the hydraulic cylinders 44, 98, 116, 118, 120 and 122 is connected by means not fully shown to a source also not shown, of fluid under pressure. This fluid may be admitted to one end or the other of the particular cylinder by a valving system, also not shown, which valving system is actuated by a series -of electrical contact switches 78, 212, 214, 216, 218, 220. The functions of the switches and their activation of particular hydraulic cylinder movements are explained hereinafter in connection with a description of the-operation of the apparatus. It should be clearly understood that wherever it is stated in this specification, including the claims hereof, that a cylinder is hydraulically actuated, it may equally be pneumatically operated within the concept of the present invention.

The apparatus operates in the following manner:

With the plates 80 and 82 first disposed horizontally on the side members 12 and 14, as shown in FIG. 3, a flattened carton blank is pushed across the plate 80 directly from a stack of flat cartons and over on to the plate 82. When the leading edge of the carton blank strikes the posts 54 and 56, further pushing of the blank 15 results in the blank opening up from its flattened position to 'a rectangular configuration. When the blank 15 is opened to where its leading sidewall contacts the foot 74 of the angular box clamp 66, the latter will pivot about the cylindrical shaft 58 to bring the spikes 68 down on top of the carton blank to puncture the same and hold it in its rectangular box position. The leading wall of the carton will also simultaneously strike the contact switch 78 which thereupon opens the valve (not shown) to supply fluid under pressure to the right side of the cylinder 44. This forces the piston 46 to the left end of the cylinder 44 to drive the elongated element 34 in the same direction, thereby moving the back-up plate 48 through the opened carton as shown in FIG. 4. However, when the nuts 50, 52 strike the front face of the end frame 28, further movement of the element 34 and its back-up plate 48 carries with theelements 30 and 32, the frame 28 to move the opened carton with the inserted back-up plate 48 to the left. Movement of the frame 28 is guided by the sleeve 36 sliding on the stud 38. Such movement of the carton 15 is permitted by the coil spring 60 yielding as the angular box clamp 66 slides on the shaft 58. The opened carton 15 is advanced until the lefthand bottom edge strikes the box stop members 100. Upon a predetermined advance of the elements 30 .and 32, switch 212 is triggered to initiate valving action to actuate cylinders 116 and 118 to move the side plates 140 and 1400 to the right (in FIG. 1) to close the side flaps 15a, 15b against I the plate 48, as shown in FIG. 5. Upon completion of this action of cylinders 116, 118, switch 214 is contacted to reverse the movement of the pistons in cylinders 116, 118, thereupon to withdraw the plates and 140a and simultaneously to operate the cylinders 120 and 122 to advance the two identical ram assemblies exemplified by rod 162, crossbar 164 and the pivotable plates and 192. These two plates 190, 192, serve to close the top and bottom flaps 15c, 15d (as shownin FIGS. 6 and 7) of the carton 15 against the side flaps 15a, 15b, which have already been moved into position against the back-up plate 48, and to press the top and bottom flaps 15c, 15d against the backs of the side flaps 15a, 15b. This pressure results in the contact adhesive on abutting faces of these flaps being held in pressed contact with each other to secure the same together, thereby closing one end of the box.

At this point switch 216 is operated to cause the ram assembly associated with cylinder 44 to be withdrawn and to initiate by switch 218 the withdrawal of the back-up plate 48 from its position in the now closed bottom of the carton. Such withdrawal of plate 48 further carries with it frame 28. When plate 48 returns to where it contacts switch 220, the latter valves the fluid supply to hydraulic cylinder 98 to actuate it thereupon releasing the cantilevered plates 80 and 82 so that carton 15 drops between the plates and onto a collection belt 222 as shown in FIG. 7. With the discharge of the carton onto the belt 120, the coil spring 60 moves the angular box clamp 66 back to the right on shaft 58, and the clamp 66 simultaneously swings back to its starting position shown in FIG. 1.

From the foregoing description it may be seen that the apparatus of the present invention provides means whereby carton blanks may be quickly made up from flattened blanks, thin flaps secured and moved by a carrier or other means to an area where the cartons may be filled with fruits, vegetables or other articles. After the cartons are filled, the top flaps may more easily be 7, closed manually, since the contents of the carton will provide the necessary back-up for the pressure applied to the outside surfaces of the flaps. Also, once the carton has been made up into its rectangular configuration, it is much easier for personnel to close the flaps of the carton manually and to seal the flaps together than it is where the blank must be opened in the first instance and a proper back-up surface provided inside the carton for pressure sensitive contacting adhesive on the bottom flaps.

Where the flaps are provided with pressure sensitive adhesive, the apparatus herein disclosed is all that is required to close the bottom of the carton. However, the apparatus may still be employed to make up cartons the flaps of which are not adhesively coated. It is only necessary to provide a stapling action at the time the four flaps have been brought together and before com- Plate w -9f le fless 2 2 izard; I

1. Apparatus for setting up a rectangular cardboard carton for filling through one of its ends from a flattened blank comprising four rectangular sides, each of said sides being hingedly joined along each of its two opposite edges tothe edge of another side and including a closure end flap hinged to each of its ends,'two of said adjacent sides so hinged to each other being flattened to constitute the lower half of the blank, and the other two of said sides with their closure end flaps also being flattened to constitute the upper half of the blank, the upper blank half being partially superimposed upon a portion of the lower blank half, and the contacting faces of said flaps, when the carton blank is unfolded and the flaps are closed upon each other, having a pressure sensitive adhesive, said apparatus comprising: v

A. Frame means, said framemeans including:

i. a pair of elongated horizontally parallel elements spaced from each other by a distance greater than the width of the carton sides;

ii. at least one horizontal supporting element cantilevered from one of said parallel elements slidably to receive, and releasablyto support a car ton blankwhich is passed thereon from one side of the supporting element;

iii. a vertical member disposed adjacent the other ,parailel element to stop movement of said blank after one of its saidhinged side intersections has been pushed over said horizontal element to reach said vertical member, thereupon causing the blank to open up so that each of the four hinged sides is disposed at a90 angle with respect to the other adjacent sides;

iv. means to retain the carton blank in such a disposition while thefour flaps of its bottom end are being secured to each other; and

v. means to release said support element thereby to discharge the carton from the frame means after a the flaps of one end have been closed.

B. First ram means movable through said opened carton blank from a first position near the edges of the carton flaps extended from a first end thereof to a second position in the plane of the edges of the carton blank sides on the second end thereof, said first ram means being attached to said frame means for support thereby and having in association therewith a flat back-up plate maintained normal to said horizontal support element and a back-up frame also movable from a similar first position to a second position in contact with said extended flaps on said first end of the blank thereby to move the latter a predetermined distance in the direction of the second end of said blank;

C. Second means disposed in a first position beyond the extended carton flaps of the second end and movable from said first position to a second position immediately adjacent said second end to close against said back-up plate the flaps extending from thevertically disposed sides of the carton blank;

D. Third means disposed in a firstposition beyond E. A plurality of power actuating means, one of each of the last said means being engageable tooperate each of said'first ram means,.said second means and third means.

F. First, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth switching means;

i. said first switching means being actuated by being contacted by the vertical side of a carton blank after said blank has passed over said horizontal supporting element and against said vertical member to be opened up to where its four sides are disposed at angles relative to each other, and a vertical wall of said thus-opened carton touches said first switching means, and when so activated, said first switching means causes one of the power actuating means to operate .the first ram means to move its back-up plate and back-up'framefrom their respective first to their respective second position;

ii. said second switching means being'disposed in association with said first ram means and operated by the latter when said first ram means has so moved its said back-up plate from its first position to its second position, and when so operated, said second switching means triggering a power actuating means to cause the said second means to move fromits first position to itssecond position; I

sociation with the said second means and operated by the same when-said second means shall have moved to its second position, and when so operated, said third switching means first triggers a power actuating means to cause the second means to withdraw to its first position and simultaneously triggers another power actuating means to cause the third means to move from its first position to its second position;

iv. said fourth and fifth switching means being disposed in association with said third means and operated by the same when it shall have moved to its second position, and when so operated, said fourth switching means triggers the power actuating means to cause said third means to return to its first position;

v. the fifth switching means, when so operated, triggering a power actuating means to cause the first ram means to return to its first position; and

vi. said sixth switching means being disposed in association with said first ram means and operated when the latter is returned to its first position, and when so operated, releases the cantilevered horizontal support element, thereby permitting the blank to drop between said pair of parallel elements; whereby the carton, with its bottom flaps adhered to close the bottom end of the carton, is discharged from the apparatus.

2. Apparatus for setting up a rectangular cardboard carton for filling through one of its ends from a flattened blank comprising four rectangular sides, each of said sides being hingedly joined along each of its two opposite edges to the edge of another side and including aclosure end fiap hinged to each of its ends, two of said adjacent sides so hinged to each other being flattened to constitute the lower half of the blank, and the other two of said sides with their closure end flaps also being flattened to constitute the upper half of the blank, the upper blank half being partially superimposed upon a portion of the lower blank half, and the contacting faces of said flaps when the carton blank is unfolded and the flaps are closed upon each other, having a pressure sensitive adhesive, said'apparatus comprising:

A. a pair of parallel elongated support elements, the upper faces of said. elements being disposed in a common horizontal plane and said elements being spaced from each other by a distance at least slightly greater than the width of the bottom side of the carton;

B. at least one horizontally disposed panel, said panel being pivotally and cantileveredly supported by a first of said elements to extend toward the other and second of said elements and serving as the entrance means and releasable horizontal support for a carton blank;

C. means releasably to lock said panel in its said horizontal cantilevered position to receive and support one of said flattened carton blanks and, upon release of said locking means, to permit said panel to drop downwardly whereby any carton supported by said panel may pass down between said elements;

D. first support means extending vertically upwardly from the second element, said support means serving as a first stopping member for the bottom of the carton blank after it has been moved over the entrance means toward the second element, said first support means further presenting a vertical surface to hold one side of the carton in its unfolded position and at a 90 angle with respect to its bottom and top sides, and said first support means further having in association therewith a first switching means;

E. first ram means, said ram means including on its forward end a first vertical plate disposal in a plane normal to said elongated support elements and of a size and shape smaller than the cross section of the open ends of the carton after the blank has, been first unfolded so that each of the four interconnected sides of the carton is disposed at 90 angles with respect to the two sides to which it is hingedly connected, and said ram means being positioned to move said vertical plate horizontally in a direction parallel to said elongated support elements from a first position beyond the edges of the closure flaps extending from one end of the carton blank, through the inside of the unfoled carton blank to a second position in the plane in which lie the remote ends of the said interconnected sides of the carton blank; and said first ram means further having operatively connected therewith a back-up frame movable in the same direction as said vertical plate from a similar first position to a second position in contact with the last said edges of the closure flaps, to move the carton blank a first predetermined distance, said back-up frame being moved by said ram means only after said ram means shall first move said first vertical plate a second pre-determined distance from its first position toward its second position;

F. a second stopping member, said member being disposed transversely on said elongated support elements remotely from said vertical plate in its first position;

G. second and third ram means, each of said means being disposed parallel to and above one of said elongated support elements, and including on' its forward end a second vertical plate movable from a first position at a slight angle with respect to a plane normal to said elements and beyond said second stopping member, to a second position in a plane normal to said elements and adjacent the ends of the carton sides corresponding to the second position of said first vertical plate and, when in said second position, said second vertical plates cause the flaps hinged to the vertically disposed sides of the carton to assume a disposition substantially normal to all four sides of the opened carton blank;

H. fourth and fifth ram means, each of said means being disposed parallel to said elongated elements, said fourth ram means being disposed substantially in the common horizontal plane in which said elongated elements are disposed and said fifth ram means being disposed substantially in the plane of the top of the unfolded carton, each of said fourth and fifth ram means including on its forward end a flat member disposed in a first position angled with respect to a horizontal plane and beyond said second stopping member, and movable from the first position to a second position in a plane normal to said elongated elements and adjacent the ends of the carton sides corresponding to the second position 'of the said first vertical plate, and when so moved into said second position, said flat members first serve to cause the flaps hinged to the horizontally disposed sides of the carton blank to be moved into a plane normal to said sides and against the flaps hinged to the vertical sides of the carton blank, and then to press all said flaps against said first vertical plate in its second position, thereby causing both said pairs of flaps to be adhered together by means of their contacting pressure sensitive adhesive surfaces;

. powered actuating means to operate each said ram means to move it from its first position to' its second position, to retain it in either of said positions and to return said ram means from its second to its first position, in response to predetermined switching action; and

J. second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth switching means,

1 1' said first switching means being actuated by being contacted by the vertical side of a carton blank after said blank has passed over said entrance means and has been opened up to where its four sides are disposed at 90 angles relative to each other, and said thus-opened carton blank is pushed against said first support means to touch said first switching means, and when so activated, said first switching means causes one of the power activating means to operate the first ram means to move its'vertical plate and said back-up frame from their first to their second positions;

said second switching means being disposed in association with said first ram means and operated by the latter when said first ram means has so moved its said vertical plate from vits first position to its'second position, and when so operated, sad second switching means actuating the power actuating means for the second and third ram means to cause them to move their second vertical plates from their first to their second positions;

said third switching means being disposed in association with either the said second or third ram means and operated by the same when said second vertical plates shall have moved to their second position, and when so operated, said third switching means actuating the power actuating means for the second and third ram means to cause them to withdraw their second vertical plates to their first positions and simultaneously to actuate the power actuating means for the fourth and fifth ram means to cause them to the fifthswitching means, when so operated, causing the first ram means to return the first vertical plate and the back-up frame to their respective first positions; and said sixth switching means being disposed in association with said first vertical plate and operated when the latter is returned to its first position, and when so operated, releasing the means locking said panel in its horizontal cantilevered position to cause its cantilevered end to pivot downwardly between said elements, whereby the carton, with its bottom flaps adhered to close the bottom end of the'carton, drops between said elements and is thereby discharged by the apparatus.

3. The device as described in claim 1, wherein the frame means slidably and horizontally to receive and releaseably support said blank includes a pivotable angular member mounted on a cylindrical shaft disposed parallel to the position of the upper leading corner of the blank when unfoled, said angular member including at least one spike which, upon pivoting of said angular member penetrates the upper side of the carton to retain the carton in a rectangular configuration until the carton is discharged between the pair of parallel elements.

4. Apparatus for setting up a rectangular cardboard carton for filling through one of its ends from a flattened blank comprising four rectangular sides, each of said sides being hingedly joined along each of its two opposite edges to the edge of another side and including a closure end flap hinged to each of its ends, two of said adjacent sides so hinged to each other being flattened to constitute the lower half of the blank, and the other two of said sides with their closure end flaps also being flattened to constitute the upper half of the blank, the upper blank half being partially superimposed upon a portion of the lower blank half, and the contacting faces of said flaps when the carton blank is unfolded and the flaps are closed upon each other, having a pressure sensitive adhesive, said apparatus comprising:

A. a pair of parallel elongated support elements, the upper faces of said elements being disposed in a common horizontal plane and said elements being spaced from each other by a distance at least slightly greater than the width of the bottom side of the carton;

B. at least one horizontally disposed panel, said panel being pivotally and cantileveredly supported on a first of said elements to extend toward the other and second of said elements and serving as the entrance means for a carton blank;

C. means releasably to lock said panel in its said horizontal cantilevered position to receive and support one of said flattened carton blanks and, upon release ofsaid locking means, to permit said panel to drop downwardly whereby any carton supported by said panel may pass down between said elements;

D. first support means extending vertically upwardly from the second element, said support means serving as a first stopping member for the bottom of the carton blank after it has been moved over the entrance means toward the second element, said. first support means further presenting a vertical surface to hold one side of the carton in its unfolded position and at a angle with respect to its bottom and top sides, and said first support means further, having in association therewith a first switching means;

E. a vertical plate, said plate being disposed in a first position normal to saidsupport elements and be-- yond the edges of the flaps hinged to one endof said opened blank, and said vertical plate being movable. from its said first position to a second position inside said carton and substantially in the plane of the other end of the carton;

F. two pairs of plate means, each pair being disposed in first positions beyond the extended flaps of said other end of the carton and being movable from their said first positions to second positions substantially in abutment with the face of the said vertical plate when in its second position, whereby in the saidpositions' of the two pairs of plate means the last said extended flaps are brought into a position normal to the sides of the box and their adhesively coated-faces are pressed together to cause the contacting flap faces to adhere to each other; and

G. switching means to sequence, commencing with the opening of the blank to where all sides of the blank are disposed at 90 angles with respect to adjacent sides to which they are respectively hinged,

' i, the movement of the vertical plate from its first to its second position and the movement of the pairs of plate means from their first positions to their second positions to close the flaps extending from the edges of the carton blank toward such plate means against each other;

ii. the withdrawal of said plate means and vertical plate from their respective second positions to their respective first positions; and

iii. the unlocking of the means releasably to lock said panel in its horizontal cantilevered position, thereby to permit the carton with its thus-closed end to pass down between the pair of parallel elongated support elementsv 5. In apparatus for setting up a rectangular cardboard carton for filling through one of its ends from a flattened blank comprising four rectangular sides, each of said sides being hingedly joined along each of its two opposite edges to the edge of another side and including a closure end flap hinged to each of its ends, two of said adjacent sides so hinged to each other being flattened to constitute the lower half of the blank, and the other two of said sides with their closure end flaps also being flattened to constitute the upper half of the blank, the upper blank half being partially superimposed upon a portion of the lower blank half, and the contacting faces of said flaps when the carton blank is unfolded and the flaps are closed upon each other, ha'ving a pressure sensitive adhesive;

a rectangular plate dimensioned to pass through an opened carton blank perpendicularly to the side walls thereof;

means to move said plate between a first position outside of said carton blank in a direction through the opened carton blank and a second position substantially in the plane of the edges of the walls at the end of the carton, the flaps of which are to be closed;

a plurality of flat elements disposed in first positions transverse to and beyond the latter flaps and movable in the opposite direction to that of the plate when moving from its first position to its second position, to second positions in close opposition to the plate in its second position, and means to move.

said flat elements between their first positions and their second positions in a sequence to avoid interference with each other, said elements in their second positions effecting the pressing together of the adhesively coated surfaces of the flaps against the said plate as a backing, thereby to close one end of the carton, whereupon said plate and said flat elements are withdrawn by their respective moving means to their respective first positions to enable the carton to be removed from the apparatus. 

1. Apparatus for setting up a rectangular cardboard carton for filling through one of its ends from a flattened blank comprising four rectangular sides, each of said sides being hingedlY joined along each of its two opposite edges to the edge of another side and including a closure end flap hinged to each of its ends, two of said adjacent sides so hinged to each other being flattened to constitute the lower half of the blank, and the other two of said sides with their closure end flaps also being flattened to constitute the upper half of the blank, the upper blank half being partially superimposed upon a portion of the lower blank half, and the contacting faces of said flaps, when the carton blank is unfolded and the flaps are closed upon each other, having a pressure sensitive adhesive, said apparatus comprising: A. Frame means, said frame means including: i. a pair of elongated horizontally parallel elements spaced from each other by a distance greater than the width of the carton sides; ii. at least one horizontal supporting element cantilevered from one of said parallel elements slidably to receive, and releasably to support a carton blank which is passed thereon from one side of the supporting element; iii. a vertical member disposed adjacent the other parallel element to stop movement of said blank after one of its said hinged side intersections has been pushed over said horizontal element to reach said vertical member, thereupon causing the blank to open up so that each of the four hinged sides is disposed at a 90* angle with respect to the other adjacent sides; iv. means to retain the carton blank in such a disposition while the four flaps of its bottom end are being secured to each other; and v. means to release said support element thereby to discharge the carton from the frame means after the flaps of one end have been closed. B. First ram means movable through said opened carton blank from a first position near the edges of the carton flaps extended from a first end thereof to a second position in the plane of the edges of the carton blank sides on the second end thereof, said first ram means being attached to said frame means for support thereby and having in association therewith a flat back-up plate maintained normal to said horizontal support element and a back-up frame also movable from a similar first position to a second position in contact with said extended flaps on said first end of the blank thereby to move the latter a predetermined distance in the direction of the second end of said blank; C. Second means disposed in a first position beyond the extended carton flaps of the second end and movable from said first position to a second position immediately adjacent said second end to close against said back-up plate the flaps extending from the vertically disposed sides of the carton blank; D. Third means disposed in a first position beyond the extended carton flaps of the second end and movable from said first position to a second position immediately adjacent said second end to close the flaps extending from the horizontally disposed sides of the carton blank against the flaps extending from the vertically disposed sides of the carton blank; E. A plurality of power actuating means, one of each of the last said means being engageable to operate each of said first ram means, said second means and third means. F. First, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth switching means; i. said first switching means being actuated by being contacted by the vertical side of a carton blank after said blank has passed over said horizontal supporting element and against said vertical member to be opened up to where its four sides are disposed at 90* angles relative to each other, and a vertical wall of said thus-opened carton touches said first switching means, and when so activated, said first switching means causes one of the power actuating means to operate the first ram means to move its back-up plate and back-up frame from their respective first to their respective second position; ii. said second switching means being disposed in association with said firsT ram means and operated by the latter when said first ram means has so moved its said back-up plate from its first position to its second position, and when so operated, said second switching means triggering a power actuating means to cause the said second means to move from its first position to its second position; iii. said third switching means being disposed in association with the said second means and operated by the same when said second means shall have moved to its second position, and when so operated, said third switching means first triggers a power actuating means to cause the second means to withdraw to its first position and simultaneously triggers another power actuating means to cause the third means to move from its first position to its second position; iv. said fourth and fifth switching means being disposed in association with said third means and operated by the same when it shall have moved to its second position, and when so operated, said fourth switching means triggers the power actuating means to cause said third means to return to its first position; v. the fifth switching means, when so operated, triggering a power actuating means to cause the first ram means to return to its first position; and vi. said sixth switching means being disposed in association with said first ram means and operated when the latter is returned to its first position, and when so operated, releases the cantilevered horizontal support element, thereby permitting the blank to drop between said pair of parallel elements; whereby the carton, with its bottom flaps adhered to close the bottom end of the carton, is discharged from the apparatus.
 2. Apparatus for setting up a rectangular cardboard carton for filling through one of its ends from a flattened blank comprising four rectangular sides, each of said sides being hingedly joined along each of its two opposite edges to the edge of another side and including a closure end flap hinged to each of its ends, two of said adjacent sides so hinged to each other being flattened to constitute the lower half of the blank, and the other two of said sides with their closure end flaps also being flattened to constitute the upper half of the blank, the upper blank half being partially superimposed upon a portion of the lower blank half, and the contacting faces of said flaps when the carton blank is unfolded and the flaps are closed upon each other, having a pressure sensitive adhesive, said apparatus comprising: A. a pair of parallel elongated support elements, the upper faces of said elements being disposed in a common horizontal plane and said elements being spaced from each other by a distance at least slightly greater than the width of the bottom side of the carton; B. at least one horizontally disposed panel, said panel being pivotally and cantileveredly supported by a first of said elements to extend toward the other and second of said elements and serving as the entrance means and releasable horizontal support for a carton blank; C. means releasably to lock said panel in its said horizontal cantilevered position to receive and support one of said flattened carton blanks and, upon release of said locking means, to permit said panel to drop downwardly whereby any carton supported by said panel may pass down between said elements; D. first support means extending vertically upwardly from the second element, said support means serving as a first stopping member for the bottom of the carton blank after it has been moved over the entrance means toward the second element, said first support means further presenting a vertical surface to hold one side of the carton in its unfolded position and at a 90* angle with respect to its bottom and top sides, and said first support means further having in association therewith a first switching means; E. first ram means, said ram means including on its forward end a first vertical plate disposal in a plane normal to said elonGated support elements and of a size and shape smaller than the cross section of the open ends of the carton after the blank has been first unfolded so that each of the four interconnected sides of the carton is disposed at 90* angles with respect to the two sides to which it is hingedly connected, and said ram means being positioned to move said vertical plate horizontally in a direction parallel to said elongated support elements from a first position beyond the edges of the closure flaps extending from one end of the carton blank, through the inside of the unfoled carton blank to a second position in the plane in which lie the remote ends of the said interconnected sides of the carton blank; and said first ram means further having operatively connected therewith a back-up frame movable in the same direction as said vertical plate from a similar first position to a second position in contact with the last said edges of the closure flaps, to move the carton blank a first predetermined distance, said back-up frame being moved by said ram means only after said ram means shall first move said first vertical plate a second pre-determined distance from its first position toward its second position; F. a second stopping member, said member being disposed transversely on said elongated support elements remotely from said vertical plate in its first position; G. second and third ram means, each of said means being disposed parallel to and above one of said elongated support elements, and including on its forward end a second vertical plate movable from a first position at a slight angle with respect to a plane normal to said elements and beyond said second stopping member, to a second position in a plane normal to said elements and adjacent the ends of the carton sides corresponding to the second position of said first vertical plate and, when in said second position, said second vertical plates cause the flaps hinged to the vertically disposed sides of the carton to assume a disposition substantially normal to all four sides of the opened carton blank; H. fourth and fifth ram means, each of said means being disposed parallel to said elongated elements, said fourth ram means being disposed substantially in the common horizontal plane in which said elongated elements are disposed and said fifth ram means being disposed substantially in the plane of the top of the unfolded carton, each of said fourth and fifth ram means including on its forward end a flat member disposed in a first position angled with respect to a horizontal plane and beyond said second stopping member, and movable from the first position to a second position in a plane normal to said elongated elements and adjacent the ends of the carton sides corresponding to the second position of the said first vertical plate, and when so moved into said second position, said flat members first serve to cause the flaps hinged to the horizontally disposed sides of the carton blank to be moved into a plane normal to said sides and against the flaps hinged to the vertical sides of the carton blank, and then to press all said flaps against said first vertical plate in its second position, thereby causing both said pairs of flaps to be adhered together by means of their contacting pressure sensitive adhesive surfaces; I. powered actuating means to operate each said ram means to move it from its first position to its second position, to retain it in either of said positions and to return said ram means from its second to its first position, in response to predetermined switching action; and J. second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth switching means, said first switching means being actuated by being contacted by the vertical side of a carton blank after said blank has passed over said entrance means and has been opened up to where its four sides are disposed at 90* angles relative to each other, and said thus-opened carton blank is pushed against said first support means to touch sAid first switching means, and when so activated, said first switching means causes one of the power activating means to operate the first ram means to move its vertical plate and said back-up frame from their first to their second positions; said second switching means being disposed in association with said first ram means and operated by the latter when said first ram means has so moved its said vertical plate from its first position to its second position, and when so operated, sad second switching means actuating the power actuating means for the second and third ram means to cause them to move their second vertical plates from their first to their second positions; said third switching means being disposed in association with either the said second or third ram means and operated by the same when said second vertical plates shall have moved to their second position, and when so operated, said third switching means actuating the power actuating means for the second and third ram means to cause them to withdraw their second vertical plates to their first positions and simultaneously to actuate the power actuating means for the fourth and fifth ram means to cause them to move their flat members from their respective first positions to their second positions; said fourth and fifth switching means being disposed in association with either said fourth or fifth ram means and operated by the same when its flat member shall have moved to its second position, and when so operated, said fourth switching means causing said fourth and fifth ram means to return their flat members to their first positions; the fifth
 3. The device as described in claim 1, wherein the frame means slidably and horizontally to receive and releaseably support said blank includes a pivotable angular member mounted on a cylindrical shaft disposed parallel to the position of the upper leading corner of the blank when unfoled, said angular member including at least one spike which, upon pivoting of said angular member penetrates the upper side of the carton to retain the carton in a rectangular configuration until the carton is discharged between the pair of parallel elements.
 4. Apparatus for setting up a rectangular cardboard carton for filling through one of its ends from a flattened blank comprising four rectangular sides, each of said sides being hingedly joined along each of its two opposite edges to the edge of another side and including a closure end flap hinged to each of its ends, two of said adjacent sides so hinged to each other being flattened to constitute the lower half of the blank, and the other two of said sides with their closure end flaps also being flattened to constitute the upper half of the blank, the upper blank half being partially superimposed upon a portion of the lower blank half, and the contacting faces of said flaps when the carton blank is unfolded and the flaps are closed upon each other, having a pressure sensitive adhesive, said apparatus comprising: A. a pair of parallel elongated support elements, the upper faces of said elements being disposed in a common horizontal plane and said elements being spaced from each other by a distance at least slightly greater than the width of the bottom side of the carton; B. at least one horizontally disposed panel, said panel being pivotally and cantilevereDly supported on a first of said elements to extend toward the other and second of said elements and serving as the entrance means for a carton blank; C. means releasably to lock said panel in its said horizontal cantilevered position to receive and support one of said flattened carton blanks and, upon release of said locking means, to permit said panel to drop downwardly whereby any carton supported by said panel may pass down between said elements; D. first support means extending vertically upwardly from the second element, said support means serving as a first stopping member for the bottom of the carton blank after it has been moved over the entrance means toward the second element, said first support means further presenting a vertical surface to hold one side of the carton in its unfolded position and at a 90* angle with respect to its bottom and top sides, and said first support means further having in association therewith a first switching means; E. a vertical plate, said plate being disposed in a first position normal to said support elements and beyond the edges of the flaps hinged to one end of said opened blank, and said vertical plate being movable from its said first position to a second position inside said carton and substantially in the plane of the other end of the carton; F. two pairs of plate means, each pair being disposed in first positions beyond the extended flaps of said other end of the carton and being movable from their said first positions to second positions substantially in abutment with the face of the said vertical plate when in its second position, whereby in the said positions of the two pairs of plate means the last said extended flaps are brought into a position normal to the sides of the box and their adhesively coated faces are pressed together to cause the contacting flap faces to adhere to each other; and G. switching means to sequence, commencing with the opening of the blank to where all sides of the blank are disposed at 90* angles with respect to adjacent sides to which they are respectively hinged, i. the movement of the vertical plate from its first to its second position and the movement of the pairs of plate means from their first positions to their second positions to close the flaps extending from the edges of the carton blank toward such plate means against each other; ii. the withdrawal of said plate means and vertical plate from their respective second positions to their respective first positions; and iii. the unlocking of the means releasably to lock said panel in its horizontal cantilevered position, thereby to permit the carton with its thus-closed end to pass down between the pair of parallel elongated support elements.
 5. In apparatus for setting up a rectangular cardboard carton for filling through one of its ends from a flattened blank comprising four rectangular sides, each of said sides being hingedly joined along each of its two opposite edges to the edge of another side and including a closure end flap hinged to each of its ends, two of said adjacent sides so hinged to each other being flattened to constitute the lower half of the blank, and the other two of said sides with their closure end flaps also being flattened to constitute the upper half of the blank, the upper blank half being partially superimposed upon a portion of the lower blank half, and the contacting faces of said flaps when the carton blank is unfolded and the flaps are closed upon each other, having a pressure sensitive adhesive; a rectangular plate dimensioned to pass through an opened carton blank perpendicularly to the side walls thereof; means to move said plate between a first position outside of said carton blank in a direction through the opened carton blank and a second position substantially in the plane of the edges of the walls at the end of the carton, the flaps of which are to be closed; a plurality of flat elements disposed in first posiTions transverse to and beyond the latter flaps and movable in the opposite direction to that of the plate when moving from its first position to its second position, to second positions in close opposition to the plate in its second position, and means to move said flat elements between their first positions and their second positions in a sequence to avoid interference with each other, said elements in their second positions effecting the pressing together of the adhesively coated surfaces of the flaps against the said plate as a backing, thereby to close one end of the carton, whereupon said plate and said flat elements are withdrawn by their respective moving means to their respective first positions to enable the carton to be removed from the apparatus. 